Rotary engine.



:No. 717,461. Patented 060.30, 1902:.v

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ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application'filed May 22, 1902.)

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Suva lbw atbo'nwap pplication filed v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

alien/W1 9 w UNITE STATES ATENT Fries.

GEORGE W. SOULE, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Itatent No. 717,461, datedDecember 30, 1902.

Application filed May 22, 1902.

To all, whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE YV. SOULI'J, a citizen of the UnitedStates,-residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and State ofMississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryEngines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descriptionofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled'inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, andparticularly to the class of rotary engines which is especially adaptedfor the operations of such mechanisms as the carriages of sawmills.

The present invention is an improvement upon a steam-feed rotary enginepatented by me May 26, 1896, and numbered 560,760.

It consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an edge elevation ofmyimproved engine, showing the piping for introducing the steam-feed andexhaust-piping, together with piping for lubricating the engine. Fig. 2is a Vertical sectional view through the body portion of the engine,taken upon the line of the inlet-ports of the engine-heads to one sideof the center of the engine. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View throughthe central portion of the engine, taken at right angles to the axis ofthe engine, a portion of the piston and the casing-ring being brokenaway to show the inner face of one of the. engi ne-heads.

This invention, as above intimated, is an improvement upon my previousengine and, like it, is formed with a "casing composed of heads 1 and aring 2, connecting the heads and. interposed between them, forming achamber, in which rotates the piston 3 of the engine. The pistonactuates a-shaft 4, which is secured thereto, and the said shaft findssuitable bearings, as at 5 and 6, in the heads 1 of the engine. Thepiston 3 carries piston-slides 7, like those shown and described in myprevious patent, the said piston being engaged by steam or otherpressure in the same manner as previously. The construction of the ring2 of the casing, however, is quite different from the rings previouslyemployed by me $erial No. 108,569. (lilomodelfi) andforms one of theimportant features of the invention in connection with an improvedarrangement of the ports in the heads of the engine. In the form ofengine previously used by me the steam was introduced and exhausted fromthe same side of the engine, entering the said engine to one side of thepiston, so that the piston was found to receive an unequal pressure uponthe side and was caused thereby to wear somewhat unduly. By the presentinvention steam or other pressure can be. introduced simultaneously toboth sides of the piston, but needs only to enter through one of theheads of the engine.

Each of. the heads 1 of the engine is formed with inlet-ports 8,arranged in pairs at each side of the head. Two of the diagonallyopposite ports 8 in each head are connected by passage-ways 9, formed inthe metal of the head, and a steam-inlet pipe 10 or 11 is connected withthe passage-ways 9 of one head or the other. The passage-ways 9 arepreferably arranged to branch from their juncture with the steam-pipes10 and 11 in the form of right angles, as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 3, one branch coming to one of the upper ports 8, while the otherbranch comes to one of the lower ports 8. The heads 1 are also providedwith auxiliary ports 12, somewhat smaller than the ports 8 and arrangedoutside the same, so as to come opposite the ring 2. These auxiliaryports 12 are each connected with its adjacent inlet-port by apassage-way arranged within the thickness of the metal of each head. Thering 2 is formed with passages 13 13, arranged so as to register withthe auxiliary ports 12 of the heads and connect them, the ports 12 ofone head being directly opposite the ports 12 of the other head, asclearly shown in Fig. 2. By still further regarding Fig. 2 it will beseen that pressure which is introduced through passage 9 of one headwill pass through the passage-way 13 to the opposite head and will thusenter the piston-chamber of the engine through the inletports 8 8 ineach head simultaneously, producing a perfectly even pressure upon thepiston from each side thereof,;.and thus not tending to force it againsteither of said heads. Of course the steam will exhaust from the enginein the same manner that it enters, but using the opposite set of portsfrom the set which is being employed to introduce live steam. The engineis so constructed, as heretofore described and fully set forth in myprevious patent above referred to, that when steam is introduced throughthe pipe 10, for instance, it will pass through the branch passage-ways0 to the diagonally opposite inlet-ports 8 in one head of the engine,the other diagonally opposite inlet-ports 8 in the opposite head of theengine acting as exhaust-ports and delivering the exhaust into thebranch passages 9 of that head and permitting it to pass through thepipe 11. When the pipe 11 is employed to introduce the live steam to theengine, the opposite condition of affairs will be established and theexhaust will pass out through the pipe 10 and the engine will bereversed.

The shape of the heads of the engine and the intermediate ring-casing 2may be varied, of course, without departingin the least from the spiritof the invention; but I find that a good Way to forinthese parts is tomake the heads circular in general contour and form the outer peripheryof the ring 2 circular to fit between the same. The center of the ringis formed with a piston-chamber by flattening opposite sides of theinner surface of the ring, the said flatteningbeing produced bythickening the ring at opposite sides, as atle. In this thickenedportion are formed the passageways 13 13. Thus it will be seen that theinner contour of the ring is the same as that heretofore used in myengine when constructed in accordance with my patent above referred to;but the outer contour of the ring and of the engine-heads ischanged,beinginore rounded out to accommodate the thickened portions ofthe ring and the passage-ways within the same. The end of the branchpassage-ways 9 9 are provided with openings which are normally closed byscrew-plugs 15. By the removal of these plugs access can be had to thepassageways formed in the heads of the engine without difficulty.

It is found in practice that the improvements contemplated by thisinvention add materially to the operation of my rotary engine, reducingfriction to a large degree and causing the parts to wear more evenly,and thus lengthening the life of the mechanism.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rotary engine formed with a casing, a revoluble piston mountedtherein, means for introducing steam or other pressure to the-enginethrough one head thereof, and means for leading the said pressuresimultaneously to both sides of the piston, comprising passagewaysformed in the heads of the engine and in the connecting-ring between thesame, substantially as described.

2. A rotary engine formed with heads and a ring-casing between them, apiston working within said ring, the heads being formed withpassage-ways and with inlet-ports and anxiliary ports, means forintroducing steam or other pressure into the passages of one head or theother in accordance with the direction in which it is desired to drivethe piston, the ring-casing being provided with passages con necting theauxiliary ports so that such pressure is directed simultaneously to bothsides of the piston, substantially as described.

3. A rotary engine, comprising heads formed with a series ofinlet-ports, the ports of one head being arranged directly opposite theports of the other, branch passage-Ways formed in the heads andconnecting the diagonally opposite inlet-ports, auxiliary ports formedin the piston-heads adjacent to the inlet-ports, and passage-waysarranged in the ring between the said heads for connecting the auxiliaryports of one head with those of the other, so that steam or otherpressure introduced at one side or head of the engine will besimultaneously delivered to both edges of the piston, substantially asdescribed.

4. A rotary engine, comprising opposing heads formed with inlet-portsand auxiliary ports, a casing-ring interposed between the said heads andformed with oppositely-disposed thickened portions in which connectingpassage-ways are arranged so as to connect the opposite auxiliary portsof the engineheads, a piston moving in the said ring, and means fordelivering steam or other pressure to one set of diagonally oppositeinlet-ports in one head for driving the engine in one di- 10: rection,means for delivering steam to the diagonally opposite inletports in theother head for reversing the engine, the said ports and means, when notdelivering live steam, acting as exhaust-ports and means, substan- I05tially as described.

5. A rotary engine, provided with heads and an intermediateconnecting-ring casing forming a piston-closure, a piston operatingtherein, the heads being provided with inlet- 11o ports and auxiliaryports, means for delivering steam or other pressure to each of saidheads, straight converging passage-ways being formed in each of saidheads for connecting the said pressure-supply with each of the 1 15inlet-ports, the heads being provided with apertures at the ends of eachof said straight passage-ways, removable means for closing the saidpassage-ways, the removal of such means affording an opportunity ofinspecting 120 the interior thereof, and means for connecting theauxiliary ports for admitting the pressure to both sides of the enginesimultaneously, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 125 signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

GEORGE W. SOULE.

Witnesses:

J. J. Honens, M. E. BELL.

